Saturday, March 2, 2019

My manager and the mechanic were lamenting about the high costs of truck maintenance today when I got back to the yard - discussing my owning my own truck. 
I listened to them making their case for quite a while.

It's much easier to be a company driver and let a large company do everything for you. 

It's also a myth coming from them that paying for things is going to make me feel like I've made a mistake. The mistake I've made is never going into this business on my own.  Even if the merger with the company has them making less money, it's still going to be a whole lot more than I am making as a company driver.


That was yesterday. I didn't see any of the OO's at the yard so I got out of there.  But, not before finding out I have a Brownsville run on Monday.  Perfect pairing for 2 grand worth of detention pay and will be able to get it filed before the deadline, 2 Fridays from now will be an excellent payday for only a week's pay. 

Their spiel did nothing to deter me from continuing on with my desire to get into this business in a way that will actually line my pockets - or bank accounts - with money and get on with this.  I haven't made up my  mind yet, but I'm hardly deterred.  They said their tire program for OO's ended when the company switched over to the "new" - lame - company.  So take off what, 10k per year worth of tires. And some other type of inpsection that has to be done twice a year they've added at $500 per.  The rest of expenses remain unchanged, they're expenses, lol. 

But yes, I'm going to consult with 2 OO's there before I move forward.  And anyway, that lady from the finance company didn't call me as she said she would yesterday, I don't expect to hear from her until monday. 

So, it's Saturday, I have the weekend off. Going to Brownsville Monday - and they told me I will be getting a hot trailer.  Meaning I will be stuck at Eastman for up to 5 hours waiting for them to purge the air out of the trailer. That's what a hot trailer is, one that has air in it.  No air, you don't want any air at all in those trailers, they say it creates an environment where the trailer can blow up once it's filled with Ethylene. 

They aren't going to like me showing up with a hot trailer in the 3rd position.  That means everyone loading after? Are going to have to also wait up to 5 extra hours.  They fill the tank up with nitrogen and then slowly purge it back out with Ethylene. Like, reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaallllllly slow. 

Apparently Rene isn't even waiting until the end of the month to leave.  Her friend is driving clear down here to get her stuff, pack it up and take it with her.  I'm not sure what will be left.  There is a couch and other furniture in the living room that she secured I think through church, no idea whether she's going to take that with her or not - would prefer not, but it's whatever.  She's all excited to go.

I'm not going to pooh pooh on her party, but I have serious doubts it's going to be the gleeful wonderland she expects it to be - well expecting the reefer.  She'll be getting stoned every day, i guess, and living for free.  But she believes she is going to fix her family.  It's a nice goal and stuff, but from my own experiences and watching dozens of other people attempting to go through that, it's pretty much impossible. Once the wounds are inflicted, people seem to never get over it.  I've completely washed my hands of my middle brother and don't care if I never see him again.  I mean, I knew once my brothers didn't show up for dad's memorial service that this rift would never be closed. 

I don't understand it, but I've caved into the idea that the only time we will ever be forced together to make decisions will be at mom's ending.  A time of life I'm not looking forward to and am planning another quick trip to AZ in the next few months to visit with her again.  Her situation concerns me.  She's getting up there, she doesn't have hardly any help to do things around the house and she is getting frail.  It's what old age does to you.  She goes for walks every day and does take care of herself, but....

I was thinking of asking my friends at my house there if they could visit her once or twice a month to help her out and I would just eliminate their rent altogether in exchange.  Actually, he's getting up there too, but he still has enough energy to do basic things around the house.  That's another bridge I'll eventually have to cross over.  I don't know how long they intend on staying there.  He's in the middle of a class action lawsuit and expects to get money out of it - but I suspect that's a few years down the road.

However, they aren't talking about moving anywhere with that money, instead, they are talking about doing improvements to my house.  I'm comfortable with the arrangement we have as long as they want to do it. I mean, it's a 30 year loan on the house, I'll be old old old if even still alive by the time that place is paid off. 

Well, ending this one.  Taylor is going to work at 4, meaning dinner needs to be ready by 3:30 at the latest.  We are having the 3rd of 4 prime rib roasts.  I left the biggest one for last.  No idea when we'll eat it, but a special occasion would be nice. She asked to have this one cooked today, so cook it we will. 

Text message. Don't worry about the trip number. From the new manager.  ??? That was the text, lol. hadn't spoken with her s...